Artillery fire from North Korea sparks panic

Fresh shellfire from North Korea has prompted panic among residents of South
Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.

6:31PM GMT 26 Nov 2010

South Korea's military said two explosions were heard on Friday and it was checking the source of the sounds.

The two blasts were heard off Yeonpyeong island near the disputed border in the Yellow Sea, a Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman told AFP.

"We're checking the origin of the sounds," he said.

The North's bombardment of the island and surrounding seas on Tuesday killed four people, injured 18 and set buildings and forests ablaze.

Two South Korean soldiers were killed and a dozen injured after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island setting more than 60 houses ablaze and sending civilians fleeing in terror.